Canon Primes | Photocrati

Canon 35mm f/1.4 USM L EF Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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The Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 USM L is highly regarded in the Canon community and it also shows in the lab. The resolution figures are exceptional and among the best tested so far. Typical for ultra-large aperture lenses vignetting is a little on the high side at wide-open aperture even on an APS-C DSLR but the issue remains correctable via imaging tools and stopping helps to resolves the issue if needed. CAs are a little on the high side unfortunately. Apart from the sheer lab related figures it’s simply pure fun to use the lens and the large aperture option is an inspiration for creative photography. The build quality is typical for a Canon L grade lens – simply superb. The EF 35mm f/1.4 USM L is not exactly a cheap lens but nonetheless – highly recommended. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 180mm f/3.5 L USM macro EF Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF 180mm f3.5L Macro USM AutoFocus Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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The Canon EF 180mm f/3.5 USM L macro is an interesting lens with a very good optical performance and exceptional mechanical qualities. Nonetheless the lens wasn’t really able to fulfill the high expectations associated with a Canon L grade lens – there’re even some zoom lenses performing better in terms of resolution. Beyond the resolution aspect the lens showed pretty perfect performance figures – minimal vignetting, next to non-existent distortions and marginal chromatic aberration. The bokeh, the quality of the out-of-focus blur is relatively decent although not stellar. The AF performance of the lens is a bit of a mixed bag. If the in-focus point is in a relatively close proximity to the current setting the AF is fast. However, if the camera has no guidance where to go the AF is extremely slow. That said AF speed isn’t really relevant for pure macro photography where you tend to use manual focusing anyway. Macro photographers will certainly appreciate the “true” IF design (constant physical length) as well as the increased working distance compared to the EF 100mm f/2.8 USM macro. If macro capabilities aren’t on your wish list you may prefer to look elsewhere though. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 24mm f/2.8 EF Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens at Amazon: Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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At the optimal focus distances the EF 24mm f/2.8 is an excellent performer capable to deliver images as sharp as it gets on an 8MP APS-C DSLR. For most situations this is generally true but residual spherical aberration can be a problem at close-focus distances (as explained in the MTF chapter above). Other than that vignetting is a little on the high side at f/2.8 but no issue beyond and the slight barrel distortions are usually very acceptable as well. The construction quality is decent though not stellar. So at the end of the day it remains an excellent lens … with a little bug. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 135mm f/2.8 SF EF Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 with Softfocus Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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The Canon EF 135mm f/2.8 SF may be old but it was still able to delivery very good performance figures in all aspects. Nonetheless there ´re many lenses including zooms which are capable to deliver similar and even better. So at the end of the day the only real differentiator is the soft-focus feature. On paper it may be worth a thought (if this is your thing) but if you ´re into digital photography you should be able to achieve a similar effect using Photoshop. A real plus is the very affordable price though. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 50mm f/2.5 macro EF Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Lens

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The EF 50mm f/2.5 macro is a fairly unexciting lens but it offers a very high performance despite its ancient design. The quality of the construction is fairly decent though not stellar. By today’s standards the micro motor as well is a little outdated. Same goes for the life-size converter which is needed to achieve a 1:1 magnification. The new EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM macro has been improved in these respects – at higher costs and with reduced image circle.
So if you’re looking for an affordable, high performance standard lens with macro capabilities the EF 50mm f/2.5 macro can still be recommended. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 35mm f/2 EF Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens at Amazon: Canon EF 35mm f/2 Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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The Canon EF 35mm f/2 proved to be a decent lens with very good performance figures in all primary characteristics. There’s a little quality penalty at its largest aperture setting where the resolution is a little on the soft side combined with relatively high vignetting but the peak performance at medium apertures is highly impressive. Mechanically the lens is a little outdated by now and Canon should really consider to upgrade the lens with a USM drive and especially a decent focus ring. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 60mm f/2.8 USM macro EF-S Review Round-Up

Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Digital SLR Lens for EOS Digital SLR Cameras

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So they do exist – high-performance lenses with a reduced image circle. The Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM macro delivers an almost flawless performance. The lens is capable to provide very sharp border-to-border results with minimal distortions and low CAs. The bokeh (out-of-focus blur) is exceptionally smooth. The only dirty spot on its otherwise clean vest is high vignetting at f/2.8 towards infinity focus but one stop down the issue is pretty much resolved. So combined with its high build quality, very fast AF and a pretty affordable price the only verdict can be … highly recommended! READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 24mm f/3.5 L TS-E Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens at Amazon: Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L Tilt Shift Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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The Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5 L is something of a mixed bag. The lens is surely able to provide a decent performance in all important characteristics but that’s without delivering anything stellar … which is something you may expect from a lens in this price class. The most fascinating aspects are naturally the tilt-shift functions and if this is a requirement for you there’re simply no alternatives in this focal length class. If you’re just looking for high-performance 24mm lens there’ll be better alternatives out there. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 90mm f/2.8 TS-E Review Round-Up

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The Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 is an interesting lens for those seeking the maximum of perspective and depth-of-field control – at a price of around 1250 US$/â‚¬. Technically the lens is about as good as it gets including excellent resolution, absent CAs and zero distortions. When choosing neutral TS settings the lens shows only marginal vignetting at f/2.8 but the more you push the TS feature to the max the problem increases accordingly (1.5EV at the most extreme setting). The build quality is exceptionally high. A drawback by design is the lack of an AF motor so you’ve to rely on your manual focusing skills here. READ FULL REVIEW

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Canon 28mm f/1.8 USM EF Review Round-Up

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Get information and user reviews for this lens at Amazon:Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM Wide Angle Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

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Generally the verdict for the Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM cannot be better than for its Sigma counterpart – high center performance but substantially worse borders. This is more so disappointing because this full frame lens was tested on an APS-C DSLR. The sweet spot effect has a positive effect on vignetting which is nothing to worry about. The distortion figures are pretty low but chromatic aberrations are hefty comparable to ultra-wide zoom lenses. So in total the lens may be good but we expect more from a fix-focal lens even though the design of a large aperture lens with a moderate pricing was certainly far from being simple. READ FULL REVIEW

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